While the vaccine rollout is underway and future travel is expected, the new coronavirus outbreak continues and those far-flung vacations and luxury hotel stays are still on hold.
For my part, I dream of days of comfort and indulgence at some of my favorite hotels around the world. I’m lighting gorgeous Omani candles, sliding around in a pair of floral bet slippers Beverly Wilshire once designed for me and drinking Vanderpump roses from a bottle autographed by Lisa Vanderpump at the opening of the Caesar’s Palace Lounge – all to convey the ambiance of the hotel.
The good news is that you can turn your home into the closest thing to a dazzling hotel experience with carefully curated upgrades (most of which are affordable).
To list luxury hotel-inspired items, we considered the most important categories of the five-star experience, such as bathroom amenities, bedding and robes. We also looked for items that mimicked the food and beverage offerings, and even replicated indulgent offerings such as room service, elaborate minibars and in-room flowers.
We also considered a range of price points, from items costing less than $20 to some high-end investment products such as luxury linens and luxury decor.
Almost everything on our list is under $100, so choose a few ideas to give your home the hotel-style upgrade it deserves…until your next stay.
Here are 13 simple upgrades that will make your home feel like a luxury hotel.
Soft slippers
These comfortable waffle weave slippers from Casual Avenue complement robes and can be paired with hotel-style suits. I chose these shoes because they are super comfortable, soft, absorbent and can be placed next to the bed at night to replicate the luxurious nightly bed service. However, if you’re still wearing them at a Zoom meeting, there’s no judgment.
Crisp white sheets
Nothing feels better than checking into a hotel room after a long trip and settling yourself into a perfect bed with crisp white sheets perfectly finished by professional room service staff, hospital corners and more.
Frette bedding is available at many luxury hotels around the world, including top brands such as the St. Regis and the Ritz-Carlton. They even have their own collection of hotel linens that you can purchase with double borders on durable cotton percale sheets made in Italy. In fact, we named the H by Frette collection the best hotel sheets in our best sheets guide. The set includes a sheet, sham and two pillowcases.
Fluffy white towels
There is nothing more luxurious than fluffy white towels. Almost all high-end hotels, starting with the Four Seasons, use 100% cotton towels.
Purchase your own set of divine comforts reminiscent of a five-star suite, complete with Crane & Canopy towels made from Turkish long-staple cotton for a light texture and soft feel. You can even have them monogrammed for a special hotel feel. The basic package comes with two towels, two hand towels and two bath towels. Unfortunately, housekeeping service for cleaning after use is not included.
An elegant scented candle
Bring a scented candle to transport you to an oasis of tranquility that will fill your entire space with hotel-like sensuality, even if you’re taking refuge at home.
Consider one of Jo Malone’s candles, whose scent wafts through luxury hotels around the world, such as the elegant Beaumont Hotel in London and the chic London West Hollywood in Beverly Hills.
This version includes notes of honeysuckle to evoke the English countryside and its stately hotels, plus fruity top notes of davana and earthy base notes of moss.
A hotel mattress
To truly simulate the hotel experience at home, stretch your limbs on an actual hotel bed, a bed that allows you to fall into a deep sleep immediately after a long day of travel, sightseeing or work in comfort.
Westin’s famous Heavenly Bed, available at all Westin hotels and resort properties, is made of six layers of thick padding for comfort and coziness. In addition, it has a 13-inch compliant pillow top to complete the experience, which also eliminates the need for mattress flipping.
A destination-inspired bed frame
Saatva recently introduced four new upholstered beds inspired by international cities. While travel to Australia and Europe may still be limited at this time, you can bring the sophisticated feel of Valencia, Porto, Copenhagen or Sydney right into your bedroom.
Each frame is handcrafted from sustainably sourced hardwoods that are kiln-dried for extra durability. Each fream is available in three sizes (large, queen and king) and three color options (taupe vintage velvet, graphite vintage velvet and natural linen).
A serene spa experience
Visiting a hotel spa may be out of the question, but here’s how to transform your home shower into a spa-like experience with some affordable, widely available amenities.
JR Watkins aromatherapy in the shower mist adds fragrance to your home experience, instantly transforming your shower into a spa-like steam room. Choose from sleep, detox and wake up scents to stimulate or relax your body. JR Watkins sent me a free sample of the detox formula to try in my own tub, and it helped relieve the stress of this challenging time.
The product is not yet available specifically for hotels, but the shower mist is a sure way to recreate the experience of showering that I enjoy at spas like the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills’ La Prairie spa.
Room service breakfast buffet
If you’re the room service type, you’ll want to treat yourself to a hearty breakfast basket and a fresh pot of coffee or tea in the morning-ideally, while kicking your slipper-clad feet up and reading the newspaper.
While you won’t be able to wake up and order fresh baked goods at Cafe 52 at the High Power Hotel in Paris, you can get up close and personal with Harry & David’s signature baked goods, which feature delicious baked goods like lemon poppy coffee cake and baklava.
The basket also includes a number of small sweet biscuits, such as raspberry crumpets. These crumpets are a catch-all for a range of baked goods weighing over 4 pounds.
Indulgent bath amenities
You don’t need a deep tub or high-end shower to feel the comforting effects of a hotel bathroom, but they do help.
Indulgent bath products in top hotels have also played a role. The most popular Kiehl’s-whose products are already sold at hotels like the famed Hotel Bel Air and Sunset Tower in Los Angeles-offers a Healthy Skin Starter Kit, which includes a set of five skin care essentials that will instantly rejuvenate and help moisturize.
Start with a vitamin C serum, moisturize your face and eyes with a cream and eye treatment containing nourishing avocados, then replenish your skin with a facial oil before bed-all included in this kit. All five products come in a colorful travel pouch that can be reused the next time you hit the road.
A plush robe
Every traveler knows that an essential part of the luxury hotel experience is a plush white robe; on a recent Christmas work trip to London, I wore a fluffy robe and spent as much time as I could getting ready at the Four Seasons Hotel in Ten Trinity Square so I could stay comfortable until I had to brave the inclement weather.
This design by Allswell perfectly balances the look and feel of a hotel spa robe. The waffle fabric has both a luxurious look and a wealth of practicality: its grooves allow it to absorb moisture like a sponge, drying the body quickly and comfortably. Thanks to the stone washing process, it starts out very soft and gets softer with each wash.